Boiler query

[queries]

My elderly mother has a British Gas condensor boiler - somebody told her she has to keep it switched on all night as otherwise there is a danger of Legionnaire's Disease - surely this can't be true? It is currently causing problems in that it is switching itself off - British Gas are on call to come out - but can anyone out there suggest why it might be doing this?

[jackthehat]

As to the 'mechanical' problem, I cannot help.

The Legionnaires Disease question is a nonsense. I could explain in greater detail but it is just a nonsense.

[Gizmonster]

Can u plz elaborate when u say it keeps switching itself off.
Do u mean that it shuts down completely, or that the boiler keeps stopping and starting intermittently ???
As for the Legionnaire's bit - can I ask where this came from - was it a friend, or a more reliable/official source ???

[Gizmonster]

A quick google search:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_heating
go to the bottom of the page titled, "water heater safety"
...... basically the risk of Legionanaires' disease is associated with water heaters where the temperature is not set high enough (minimum 50 deg C), increasing the risk of incubating bacteria colonies, particularly Legionella, in water that is not hot enough to kill them .
Your mum is using a condensor boiler - completely different set up, so I reckon someone's got their wires crossed.

[queries]

I thought as much about the Legionnaire's business!

It just switches off - you have to wait a minute or so and then switch it on again. The boiler was replaced ten years ago so we are all a bit concerned that it might need replacing - is 10 years old for a boiler?

[Gizmonster]

When u say it switches off - do u mean that the boiler goes off, then re-ignites itself after a few minutes (or longer) ???
If so - this is quite normal as the boiler reaches its pre-determined temperature pre-set by the user.
If it's a condensing boiler - isn't the water just heated up on demand, (i.e. when u switch the tap on) or is there a separate water tank ???

[queries]

Well, the engineer has just been and it turns out that the thermostat in the hall was set all wrong so the boiler was all out of sync - my mum had been turning everything down to save money and it all went phut! Problem sorted - but thank you Gizmonster for your advice - much appreciated!

[chas2008]

didnt think condensing boilers were around 10 years ago, just combi boilers...

Just read your last post, sounds like my inlaws, they have just had a full system fitted a few months back, they have turned all the rads off in the upstairs bedrooms, turned the TRVs down on the others to almost off then set the stat at 35 !! and wonder why it doesnt work.....no matter how many times i explain it them and reset it everything as soon as im gone they set it all back again....old people...

[queries]

Sadly my father has recently passed away so my mum is on a steep learning curve for all things like that - she's doing pretty well in general - but I do sometimes feel she'll say she understands something and then asks me again 10 minutes later - unfortunately I think we could all end up like that one day!!!!